


I Will Lift You Off Of Your Feet, I'll Keep You From Sinking

by justyoumeandthestars



Series: Penelope 'Verse [1]
Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-13 02:19:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justyoumeandthestars/pseuds/justyoumeandthestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to Sweet Catastrophe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Will Lift You Off Of Your Feet, I'll Keep You From Sinking

**Author's Note:**

> unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

Penelope Louise Kinney is born on the fourth Thursday of the year. It's snowing in Pittsburgh and Brian has to fucking ditch the cab taking him to the hospital because these know-nothing fucks have seemingly forgotten how to drive and, dammit, his daughter is being born and Justin and the surrogate, Megan, are alone and waiting. 

Penelope is biologically Justin's, but when Brian suggested she take the blond's last name, Justin didn't talk to him for a week.

Megan has chestnut colored hair and hazel eyes and crooked teeth and Justin fell in love with her from their very first meeting. While Brian decided he'd stay out of the choosing of the surrogate, he knew what Justin was doing when it came to Penny's gene pool, but kept his mouth shut for the first time since he himself was born. 

She was born at 3:14 in the afternoon, exactly 16 minutes after Brian burst into the hospital room ranting about “fucking idiots in the Pitts” and yanking at his hair frantically. Megan is wheeled from the room almost instantly after the umbilical cord is cut and suddenly Justin is holding a bundled ball of screaming red baby and he doesn't know what the fuck he imagined this would be like.

Brian simply murmurs, “Congrats, daddy.” And Justin starts crying and they stand in the hospital room hugging with an infant between them and prepare for the Earth to crumble beneath their feet.

 

Brian takes to being a father more than he'd ever admit and more than Justin would even bother to bring up in conversation. He wakes up in the middle of the night and changes her and feeds her and rocks her to sleep and lets her sleep in their bed on his chest while Justin snores on, untethered.

He pushes down thoughts of Jack and Joan and takes a deep breath. Penny stirs and reaches up her chubby, wet hand and presses it against his neck and he smiles. He loves Penelope. He's not his father.

 

Two weeks after Penelope is born, Debbie has the gang over for dinner. Brian makes a quip about the “before” where they'd fuck and put on jeans and leave. Justin smiles while bathing Penny in lukewarm water in the sink. The unspoken preference of the “after” hangs in the air as Brian leans down and kisses Justin's lips with a grin.

The brunette does his best to not think about how fucking domestic it all is and jerks off in the shower, loudly, just to prove a point. 

They show up late and make-out in the vehicle until Penelope starts to whimper before they finally enter the shitshow that is Deb's dinner. Everyone gushes over the blonde baby with hazel eyes and she wriggles out of everyone's grip and arches her back and grasps for Brian. 

The older man sits on the sofa with the ball of talcum powder and soft skin against his chest. He's unconsciously stroking her back while she sucks on her pacifier and he talks to Ted about Kinnetic. 

After they eat – Brian with one hand and his daughter against himself – Penelope starts to fuss. Justin feeds her her bottle while Brian goes out back to smoke, because he's still Brian fucking Kinney and he can't throw out all his vices.

“I'm fucking proud of you, you know.” The raspy voice of his own surrogate mother calls out from behind him while the creaky door closes behind her. 

“It's cold, you should have a jacket.” He mutters, blowing smoke out his nose.

She ignores him, “That baby loves you.”

“I feed her and change her diapers. Why wouldn't she? I haven't been given the opportunity to fuck up yet.”

“Kid,” she shakes her head and grabs his chin, “listen to me, you listening?” He smiles and nods. “You're a good person. You've got a big heart. You're a good friend. You're a good partner to Sunshine, whether you want to admit it or not. And you're a fucking good father. Don't let those rat-bastards who fucked up your childhood let you think anything different. You hear me?”

“I hear you.” She lets his face go and he stubs out his cigarette. “I'm fucking terrified.” He states so low Debbie hardly hears him.

“That just means you're doing it right.” And he believes her.


End file.
